What Was Robinson Crusoe Based On?

Daniel Defoe's famous novel, published in 1719, was inspired by the real-life story of mariner Alexander Sellkirk, who had survived for five years on an uninhabited island in the Pacific.
Defoe's Crusoe is luckier than Sellkirk; whereas Sellkirk had actually lost the power of speech when he was picked up, Crusoe acquires a friend and helper, Man Friday (his discovery of Friday's footprint in the sand, when he had thought the island was uninhabited, is one of the best-known scenes in literature.) He also stays there a good deal longer; over 28 years altogether, during which he keeps a detailed journal (this forms the basis of the novel.)

Crusoe's resourcefulness and cheerfulness have made him a popular figure with readers. The improbabilities of the story are usual for the time, and "Robinson Crusoe" is usually regarded as one of the earliest examples of the modern novel (a genre which hardly existed at the time.)

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